Date: 2015-03-23
Type of information: Licensing agreement
Compound: antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology
Company: Immunogen (USA - MA) Takeda Pharmaceutical (Japan)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Type agreement: licensing
Action mechanism: antibody-drug conjugate. An antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) consists of a monoclonal antibody that binds to a target found on cancer cells with a cancer-cell killing agent, or \"payload,\" attached. The antibody serves to target the payload specifically to the cancer cells and the payload serves to kill these cells. In some cases, the antibody also has meaningful anticancer activity. ImmunoGen has established a deep portfolio of ADC technology to enable the development of an optimal ADC design for each cancer target, including a selection of potent payload agents and engineered linkers. The Company\'s portfolio of proprietary payload agents includes its tubulin-acting maytansinoids, which are used in over ten ADCs in the clinic today including the marketed product, Kadcyla®. ImmunoGen created its DNA-acting IGN family of payload agents to further expand the types of cancers potentially addressable with effective ADC therapies, such as cancers insensitive to tubulin-acting agents or with less-robust target expression.
Disease:
Details: * On March 23, 2015, Takeda Pharmaceutical and ImmunoGen, a biotechnology company that develops targeted anticancer therapeutics using its state-of-the-art antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology, announced that Takeda has licensed exclusive rights to use ImmunoGen\'s ADC technology - including ImmunoGen\'s new DNA-acting IGN payload agents - to develop and commercialize targeted anticancer therapeutics to up to two undisclosed targets. The agreement also provides Takeda with the option to take a license for a third target for an additional upfront fee.Takeda signed an agreement with ImmunoGen through its wholly owned subsidiary, Millennium Pharmaceuticals.
Financial terms: ImmunoGen will receive $20 million upfront and - for each target - is eligible to receive milestone payments potentially totaling up to $210 million plus royalties on the commercial net sales of any resulting ADC products. Takeda is responsible for the development, manufacturing and marketing of any ADC products resulting from this agreement.
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